Woman attacked by grizzly near Anchorage in critical condition

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A grizzly bear attacked a woman, wrapping its jaws around her head before a guest scared it away.

Abby Sisk, 21, of Ogden, Utah, was under going surgery Thursday, said Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen.

A spokeswoman at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage said Sisk was listed in critical condition. Sisk's mother was en route to Anchorage on Thursday.

Sisk "suffered some pretty major lacerations to her face and head," Ipsen said.

The attack happened late Wednesday as Sisk, a seasonal employee of the Kenai Princess Lodge in Cooper Landing, was returning to the lodge after a hike.

She was about 25 yards from the lodge on a gravel path when the bear came out of the bushes and attacked her.

"It had her head in its jaws and it dragged her a few feet," Ipsen said.

A guest at the lodge heard what he thought at first was laughter, and then he heard screaming. He looked a window and saw the bear on top of Sisk.

He ran outside, confronted the bear and managed to scare it away, Ipsen said.

"We're surprised this happened because this was so close to the lodge," Ipsen said.

Sisk is a housekeeper at the lodge. She started her summer job in May.

"She's been having a good time, doing a good job," said Kenai Princess Lodge general manager Dan Michels. "She's a great employee."

Lodge staff called all guests after the 11 p.m. attack, urging them to stay inside and to use shuttles to the main lodge.

The lodge is on 46 secluded acres on the Kenai River. There are no guest rooms at the main lodge, and guest accommodations are spread over the property.

As more guests arrived Thursday, the lodge staff was to urge them to continue to use shuttles or at least walk in groups.

Several trails have been closed, including the one on which Sisk was attacked.

Michels said no one saw any bear cubs in the vicinity and staff members have no idea what provoked the attack.

Ipsen said it was not immediately known if Sisk had bear bells, worn to alert bears that someone is coming, or pepper spray for protection with her when she was attacked.

A trooper was able to talk briefly to Sisk before she was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, but only was able to get her name and age. She was later transferred to the hospital in Anchorage.

Troopers returned to the lodge Thursday morning to look for the bear, but Ipsen said it proved to be a difficult task.

"We have reports of 25 brown bear in the area," she said. "It'd be hard to figure out which bear was responsible for this.

Cooper Landing is about 50 miles southwest of Anchorage, on the Kenai Peninsula.